Residents help plan the future of Cos Cob

Brittany Lyte

Updated 9:54 pm, Saturday, June 15, 2013

At least one idea drew a consensus in discussion of a Greenwich neighborhood survey last week.

"People feel that there are probably enough banks," said Susan Favate, a consultant hired to help Cos Cob residents draft guidelines for future development in their part of town.

Favate's remark elicited laughter from a group of more than 50 residents gathered at Central Middle School Thursday to hear some of the 524 responses to last month's Cos Cob Neighborhood Plan Survey.

The survey is one of several tools town leaders are using to draft what is intended to become an important reference for decision-makers as they evaluate proposals pertaining to land use, traffic, waterfront access, economics and urban design.

The meeting offered Cos Cob residents an exercise in reimagination. The underlying question was simple but vast in scope: What improvements would you like to see made to the Cos Cob section of town?

The consultants hired to aid town planners with the project offered no firm recommendations. They did, however, share a few of their own ideas, such as manipulating roadways to create more green space, instituting a left-turn lane on Route 1 at Sinawoy Road and building a pedestrian connection between the village and the train station along Mead Avenue and River Road.

Parking, flooding issues and housing diversity were also discussed.

"Cos Cob is really the center of Greenwich in many respects, and we think it's really important that we take advantage of these opportunities," said Don Heller, chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

The making of a Cos Cob plan is one of about 200 action items adopted in the 2009 Plan of Conservation and Development for Greenwich. The townwide plan is a state-mandated document that must be refreshed every 10 years.

A draft of the plan for Cos Cob is set for completion by September.

"The last thing we want is for this to be another study on a shelf," said Frank Fish, one of several consultants working on the project on behalf of BFJ Planning.

Most discussion among meeting attendees centered around issues affecting the village along Route 1.